Shurima Arisen
by Wyvernn
Summary: Azir resurrected. Shurima reborn. As Azir wakes up after a 3000 year gap, he rebuilds his city and begins to adjust to the changing civilization. After a while though, he wonders - he has power over the sands. Does that include the sands of time? Rated T for violence. Expect a lot more champions than just Azir as the story goes on.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness. Only Darkness. I am awake, but asleep. Interesting. I see nothing. I hear nothing, and I feel nothing. Yet I am aware.

And then, feeling. Pressure. A musty scent. A dim light in the corner of my eye. Cloth against my skin. And… wetness. I drag my fingers through the wetness on my side. My other hand comes to my face and finds it covered. I tear away the bandages there, and have my senses assaulted. Harsh, glaring light blinds me, I cover my eyes, and wait for them to adjust.

Gradually, the light recedes, until it is just a shaft of light from the open chamber door, illuminating the room. I study my hand, and the darkness on them. I take a deep breath, and feel a distinct coppery tang in the air. Blood. I get up, step out of a coffin embedded in the floor, and stand. To the side is a beautiful lid to the coffin, covered in gold. I am in a chamber, walls covered in gold, with beautiful jewels and gems, precious minerals and fragrant spices. A resting-place fit for a king.

_No… not a king. An Emperor…_

I walk over to a nearby table, beautiful and inlaid with gems, covered in gold. I sweep off an ornate gold carving of a falcon, with Jade eyes and spread wings. I study my reflection in the polished gold. I rip away the bandages covering my face and head, pull them all the way to my chest, where they unravel and fall apart. I look down. I am wearing a beautiful golden headband, practically a crown with a jade stone inlaid in the middle. I am wearing a beautiful maroon cloak, with golden ceremonial armguards. I have an ornate golden breastplate, with a Jade gem embedded in the center, larger than my fist. I study my chocolate-colored hands, find them smooth, and unblemished. I see my dark hair done in dreadlocks with gold beads interlaid, hanging upon my shoulders. I tear the bandages off my arms, and see the dark red stain on the end. Right — the blood. I glance around, and find it trickling into the chamber from outside. I walk out into a large cavern, and see a massive stone serpent poised to strike above the doors leading to the chamber. I turn around, and see in Shuriman glyphs four simple letters. A, Z, I, and R. Azir. My brain snaps into place, and I awaken again.

I remember walking up to the Ascension platform, Xerath by my side. He takes his place of honor next to the platform. I turn and proclaim the freedom of all Shuriman slaves, and look straight at Xerath. He is shocked. Grinning, I walk up to the ascension platform, and the ritual begins. The sun bounces off the Sun Disc, hits me, and I feel it burning. My skin burns, my muscles, bones, my very core burns. And then, darkness.

I follow the trickle of blood to a large puddle. Spatters of blood lead away from it. I continue walking, and see a young woman, strikingly beautiful, despite the gash in her stomach. She has long dark hair, has extremely tanned skin, and is muscled and lean. Standing, she'd barely reach up to my shoulders, not because she is short, I realize, but because I am tall. I know she is near death — with the amount of blood she lost, it's a wonder she's still alive. All thoughts of empires and gold desert me, and all I can think of is the slight possibility that I can save her. I pick up her weapon, the Golden Chalicar of Setaka, the Ascended Warrior. As I pick her up, my subconscious wonders how she came by this ancient weapon, while I know there is a place she can be saved. I almost put my arm inside her torso, as the gash in her stomach is merely a scratch compared to the gaping hole in her back. I walk through the cavern, dripping blood everywhere I go, past dozens of dead bodies I have no time to think about, and out, up to the surface.

I stumble as the full power of the Shuriman sun hits me, but I know I can spare no time to let my eyes adjust. I follow the scent of life, knowing it will lead me to the Oasis. I wonder why the other smells are absent, and why it is so quiet when the hustle and bustle of Shurima, the greatest city in the world should easily reach me. As my watering eyes adjust, I see not a grand city, the epitome of civilization, but barren wasteland, and sand as far as the eye can see, with pyres of rock barely reaching ten feet above the sands. I see an long arc of gold that I recognize to be part of the massive gold Sun Disk of Shurima, half buried underneath the shifting sands. Usually it is hovering over the city, showcasing to all who see it, the power of the sun. Now, it is covered by the sands, swallowed by the desert, the only sign of the city I had loved and grown up in apart from the ruined stone.

After a few more minutes of trudging through the deep sands, I reach another cavern, and all my musings are expelled from my mind as the scent of life coming from the cavern draws me in. I find a small pool in the middle of the cavern, and after dropping the Chalicar to the ground, knowing it will be unscathed, I gently lower the woman into the waters of life, the Oasis of Life.

Although my clothes are covered in blood, and there is a clear trail everywhere we went, the water stays clear as the night sky as I lower her in. I step back, hoping against hope I was not too late to save her. As I do, I notice a small platform. I walk toward it, inspecting it, and just feel a sense of "rightness" emanating from it. I step onto the pedestal, as I notice the woman begin moving. She sits up and gazes at me. Before I can react, a shaft of light pierces through a small hole in the top of the cavern, and bounces off multiple mirrors concealed in the rock, before landing on a small segment of stone with ornate carvings. The presence of light where only darkness had reigned for years triggered a reaction, ordained by the gods. A golden beam of light shot from it and hit me square in the chest. I felt myself rise off the ground, enveloped in the burning I recalled earlier. It became more and more intense, and although eventually, the beam stopped, the burning did not. I became subconsciously aware that I was now glowing so brightly that the woman, now standing, had to cover her eyes. As I grew brighter and brighter, the burning got more and more intense. I screwed my eyes shut, when all of a sudden it stopped.

I immediately felt different, more aware. My eyesight was enhanced. Although I was no longer glowing, I could see every little detail of the cavern. I smelled the rock, the sand, the blood and the water with a clarity I had never experienced before. I heard the wind, high above the surface, gently moving shifting the sound, registering as a low buzz. Although looking away, I sensed the woman move, feeling the movement of the air against my skin. I floated down to the ground, and looked at the woman, aware that there was golden smoke trailing from my eyes. I knew then, that I had Ascended, unlocked my true potential, my ultimate form.

Whereas before, she would have reached my shoulders, now _her_ shoulders hardly reached my waist. I found myself summoning a staff I didn't know I'd had, and sand trickled out of my palm, solidifying into a staff almost instantly. I looked at the woman, and focused on her eyes. They were bright green, but that wasn't what I was looking at. From across the cavern, at least twenty feet away, I observed the reflection in her eyes, and saw all that she saw.

I was a magnificent beast, Ascended in the shape of a Shuriman Falcon, I had gold armor, a perfectly form-fitting full-face helmet, and a golden breastplate with a diamond-shaped Jade gem in the center. My eyes still smoldered, emitting a deep gold smoke. A maroon colored silk headscarf fell from the back of my helmet onto my back, where it was covered by gold pauldrons and golden neck-guard, stylized as a large "collar." The scarf wrapped around my chest, just below the jade gem. I have a gem on the bottom of each pauldron, and perfectly crafted golden gauntlets, going all the way to my golden claws. Hanging from my gauntlets were three tassels of maroon silk each, tipped with gold. I had two thigh guards, both made of gold with a large oval jade gem at the top. The bottom of my scarf comes out from under my chestplate, falling between my legs, a Shuriman Sun Disk stylized onto it in gold silk. A small gap between my chest armor and my knees was left bare, for ease of movement, exposing bluish skin, tough as hardened leather. From my knees to my feet, or talons now, gold armor covered everything, both practical and beautiful. My spear was as tall as I was, the shaft wrapped in softened leather until it reached the beginning of the point, a golden semicircle with a cross guard built onto it, three blue gems embedded in the gold. Hovering a few inches above this were two golden wing shapes, about a finger's width apart from each other, forming a dual point sharp enough to cut a hair on water.

After registering my new appearance in half a second, I motioned with my head for the woman to follow me, and walked out into the sun. I almost raised my hands to shield my eyes from the sun, but instinctively knew that wouldn't be necessary. I noticed the woman, however, did cover her eyes, proving my suspicion that it was my Ascended form that let my eyes instantly adjust. I looked at the ruins in front of me, and felt the sands around me. I began shifting the sands, feeling the remains of a magnificent city buried deep under the earth. I manipulated the sands, bringing my city up from the depths, raising the pillars, and replenishing the Oasis of life. The Sun Disk floated up above the Ascension Platform, and the two spires underneath it and the spires surrounding the city set into place. My city now uncovered, I shifted the sand off all the buildings, coalescing it into a legion of soldiers, ready to obey my every command. I heard the woman next to me gasp, and turned to her.

"Who are you?" I inquired.

Still awestruck, she managed to reply,

"My name is Sivir. I was hired by a Noxian noblewoman to open the tomb, but she betrayed me…"

"Noxus? I do not recognize this name… Where is it?"

"My lord, the Empire of Noxus rules almost the whole of the northern continent, Valoran!"

"Are they then in alliance with Shurima? Or has a there been a war? Why was Shurima buried?"

Sivir hesitated, then said,

"Your Highness, the glyphs above the tomb said you are Emperor Azir. Is that correct?"

"Yes, I am the Emperor. Now tell me, why was Shurima buried?"

Azir became more insistent, his regal voice instilling obedience into Sivir.

"Your Highness, I hate to say it, but there is no Empire of Shurima. You were the last Emperor, ages ago. Most people today believe you are a myth. Shurima disappeared years ago!"

Azir digested this. It was not implausible, but not entirely likely either. Shurima was the greatest empire on the planet.

"When did this happen?"

"My lord…?" Sivir inquired.

"_How long ago did Shurima disappear?_" Azir's voice was like a clap of thunder.

"Three… Three…" Sivir hesitated yet again.

"Spit it out woman," Azir commanded. Sivir dropped her gaze.

"Over three thousand years ago…"

Outwardly Azir seemed unaffected, aside from a long silence. Inwardly however, he was thinking furiously.

_Three thousand years!? Impossible! Yet I can sense that she is not lying…_

Azir nodded, then walked down from the dune they were on toward the city, motioning for Sivir to follow.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's note:**__** Hey there! This is my first fanfiction on this site, so sorry if I mess up once in a while (or more often). Constructive criticism is always welcome, but don't be a jerk and write an essay in the comments telling me how I'm a degenerate for writing X scene or for Y character's personality. Thank you for reading, and enjoy!**_

As they approached the city, the gates, huge slabs of sandstone standing unopened for millennia, opened at a mere gesture from Azir. They walked into the city, headed toward the royal palace, and as they walked through the deserted streets, sand around the streets pooled into small puddles and formed into shapes of people, going about their daily business.

"What is this?" wondered Sivir. Azir remained quiet, and after some consideration, replied:

"They're shadows. Echoes from the past, if you will. I may not know what happened here three thousand years ago, but the sands remember."

They continued walking through the city in silence, heading toward the palace, when Azir spoke once again.

"After some deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that we are related."

"Us!? Related!?" Sivir's eyebrows shot into the sky, her mouth forming a perfect "O."

"It is the only conclusion I can come to that makes any sense. I was resurrected by blood magic, it's as simple as that. As soon as your blood dripped onto my body, I awakened. Now, I think it is time for you to tell me how you came about that weapon, and what you were doing in that cavern."

Sivir took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was silent for a moment, and they walked there, ancestor and descendant, Ascended and human, walking together through the ghost of a civilization. Finally, Sivir looked up.

"I'm a mercenary. I have been for years. I was hired by an anonymous source a few years ago to search for an ancient weapon. After searching through tomb after tomb, finding the remains of dozens of ancients, I found it, embedded in a wall, next to a massive coffin, the likes of which I'd never seen."

"Setaka, the First of the Ascended," Azir breathed.

"Right, Setaka, as you say. Of course, I didn't know that, I just saw the massive and ancient coffin, and the blade. I pried it from the wall; as soon as I held it in my hand, I felt as though I'd been training with it all my life. It felt completely and utterly perfect in my grip."

"Setaka used that weapon for hundreds of years — it is not surprising that it absorbed some of her magic."

They reached a bridge leading to Central Shurima, where the noble families lived.

"Right — magic. I don't know anything about that, all I know is I picked up the weapon, and all of a sudden there was tension in the air. Everybody gripped their weapons tighter, myself included. The commander of the soldiers I was guiding told me to give him the weapon and step back. I'm no fool, and I knew I'd be dead as soon as that blade left my hand. So I attacked. I threw the Chalicar, and it sliced straight through him and another man, bounced off the wall, and returned to my hand, unscathed. I killed them all, one against thirty."

At this, Sivir looked up straight at Azir, as if daring him to refute this accomplishment of hers. Azir merely motioned for her to continue, as they neared the halfway point of the bridge, echoes of the past reliving their busy lives of ancient times.

"Ever since then I made a name for myself, as Sivir: The Battle Mistress. I didn't coin it, but I accepted it, and made it mine."

As they neared the end of the bridge, Sivir continued:

"As for what I was doing in the cavern half-dead, thats a whole different story. Cassiopeia, a well-known Noxian noblewoman hired me to find the Tomb of the Emperors. She offered a hefty sum and I'm not ashamed to say that I took it. We traveled for weeks, looking through tomb after tomb, when finally we reached that cavern. I was astounded at the riches and gems, but Cassiopeia was unfazed. As my men moved ahead of us, more and more were brutally slaughtered by traps: Pressure plates shooting arrows, poison gas, cave-ins, you name it and it was there. Finally, the two of us reached the door. There was a massive stone snake above the doors, and there, in the center of the gateway was a hollow, perfectly made for my Chalicar. Cassiopeia knew that my weapon was a key, and she literally stabbed me in the back, leaving me for dead on the floor."

_That explains all the bodies…_ Azir thought.

They finally crossed the bridge and began walking toward the palace.

Azir gestured,

"Go on."

"I must have been hallucinating a little, because all of a sudden the stone snake came alive and bit her. She was screaming and clawing at the floor, the snake, everything. She started glowing green, and I could swear she started turning into a snake. All of a sudden, the doors burst open, and a massive crocodile in armor and a massive crescent blade burst through, swatted Cassiopeia aside, and charged out of the cavern."

At the mention of the crocodile, Azir looked up, interest piqued. They were nearly to the palace.

"He was followed by the strangest thing I'd ever seen. It was vaguely humanoid, kind of like if somebody was turned into lightning. He seemed to be inside some weird chains, with runes on them, as though he had been sealed away but broke free. As he left, he laughed in a deep and echoey voice. Anyway, I picked myself up and crawled away, before collapsing on the ground. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a pool and you're glowing and Ascending."

Azir was quiet for a bit, and then quietly said,

"Thank you."

_A massive crocodile in armor and a crescent blade, _Azir thought. _There's no chance it can be anybody but Renekton. I hate to think what being trapped for 3 000 years, fully conscious with some malicious spirit, would have done to him. However, if Renekton is alive, then the rest of the Ascended, or most of them must be alive as well. What about Ta'anari, Syphax, Rhaast, Aatrox, and Varus? Shabaka and Shabake? Valeeva and Cebotaru?_ And then, realization hit him. _What about Nasus? He could explain everything that's happened?_

Azir's musing were interrupted by their arrival at the Royal Palace. Azir stopped in front of the palace, and began paying attention to the echoes. He shifted the time a little, until he found himself walking out of the palace with Xerath and his honor guard.

"Is that you?" Sivir inquired. Azir made a gesture in the affirmative.

"Who is that next to you?"

"That is Xerath, my friend since childhood. He was a slave…"

At that, Sivir looked surprised.

"Oh, slaves were commonplace back then. I don't know if they still are, but it doesn't matter one way or another. My last act before I died was to free all the slaves in Shurima."

They followed the echoes up through the levels of Shurima, as Azir continued his reminiscing.

"The day we are currently watching is the day of my planned Ascension, when something went wrong, killing me and decimating Shurima."

They followed the echoes up to the Ascension platform, when the echo of Azir stopped, and spoke to the crowd, then glanced at Xerath, grinning.

"That's when I made my surprise announcement, freeing all the slaves…" Azir mentioned softly.

They watched as the echo of Azir walked up onto the Ascension platform, when he started hovering, arms rising out from his sides.

"That's what happened when you—" Sivir began, but was quickly muted by a quick gesture from Azir, as he watched, laser-focused on the scene in front of them.

The echo Azir all of a sudden exploded, and the shock wave spread around the city, dissolving all the echoes back into sand and throwing it backwards. In the moment, it felt as though they truly were there; it was a surreal experience seeing the shockwave decimate everybody but the two. Sivir recoiled reflexively, then looked back, where there was now only emptiness.

"What happened?"

Azir, however, was muttering to himself,

"It was a normal Ascension, and then something went wrong… but what?"

Azir motioned with his hands, moving the echoes back through time.

_I need to watch this again, so that I can see what happened,_ he mused.

They watched the scene again, and Azir was as confused as ever.

_I don't understand, what happened!? Was it my fault, or—" _he never finished that thought, however, because Sivir touched his arm.

"Your highness…?"

"Sivir, it's alright, strange as it may be, we're relatives, and alone to boot. Call me Azir."

"Alright then… Azir? Can you go back again? Right to where you released all the slaves. Only… only this time, watch your friend, Xerath."

Intrigued, Azir turned back the sands of time, back to where he released the slaves, and then a little further.

Watching Xerath now, Azir saw him watch the echo-Azir very closely, and as the Ascension Ritual began, Xerath raised his arms, and could visibly be seen gaining power, fingers crackling, eyes blazing. Finally, he flung his arms wide, and the echo of Azir exploded, the energy exploding through Shurima, before being sucked into Xerath almost instantly.

Azir was visibly shaken, and almost recoiled.

_No. It can't be. Did Xerath… betray me? That's impossible, we were the closest of friends._

Azir replayed the final moments, again and again, until finally, he was forced to admit it to himself.

_He really did it. Xerath, my best friend of all time, my brother from another mother since childhood, betrayed me. I don't understand why; he used arcane magic to steal the power of the Ascension. He is the reason I am dead, Shurima entombed with me._

Azir became aware of Sivir watching him anxiously. He looked at her, and in her vision became aware that his eyes had again begun smoldering, golden smoke rising from the glowing seen under his mask.

Sivir backed away, unconsciously gripping her Chalicar.

"SIVIR," Azir's voice thundered through the abandoned city, echoes repeating the name, instilling Azir's authority in her mind.

"You are familiar with the deserts. Go out and find the nomads who were my people. Gather them together. And bring them here."

Sivir looked at the Emperor, the golden smoke rising from his eyes, and knew at once that, relative or not, alone or in a crowd, Emperor or slave, this was a being to obeyed and obeyed instantly. She kneeled, then took off at a run, down the stairs, across the bridge, and outside the city, Azir's razor sharp eyesight following her long before she should be out of sight.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:**_** _Hey! Chapter 3 is out :) I don't really have a regular update schedule, but I'm doing my best do upload at least once a week. Sorry the chapters are getting shorter, they'll begin to lengthen soon. I just need to fully introduce the story and the characters._**

**_Enjoy!_**

Ishtar trudged through the sand behind his family, a burning thirst in his throat, leading his skallashi, a large quadruped herbivore many nomads preferred over the more well-known Shuriman Camel. They had run out of water the day before, and he knew that if they didn't find something soon, they would soon die. He was but a simple man, without weapons or guard to fight off the raiders who'd seized the oasis, their only choice was to run.

He wore a green headscarf made of coarse cloth, handmade for him by his wife, Tanit. He wore plain robes of grey and brown fabric, put on in such a way as to keep as much sand as possible off his skin.

Ishtar wasn't a merchant, merely the last remaining survivor after his tribe was killed by raiders. He barely escaped with his wife and two children, and had been searching for a permanent home ever since, tired of the dangers of the desert.

"Papi! PAPI!"

Ishtar glanced up, to where his youngest child, five-year old Khepri was bouncing up and down despite the heavy backpack he bore.

"Papi LOOK! It's really there!"

Ishtar looked past his excitable son, expecting to see nothing more but more ruins, or a mirage at best. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of a massive city, towers ringing the edge standing high, the Oasis of Life living once more, and the titanic Sun Disk, made completely of gold, hovering weightless in the sky above the city.

"We found it!" He whispered, choked up, too dehydrated to cry tears of joy, drawing his wife and children into his arms, as they stared in wonder at their salvation.

They walked through the massive gates, easily over thirty feet tall in Ishtar's estimation, only to find the city completely empty. He looked around, confused, when a deep voice he could only describe as _regal_ addressed them.

"Welcome to Shurima Reborn."

He turned around, and saw a massive creature, at least nine feet tall, an Ascended being in the visage of a hawk, clad in gold armor, maroon silk, and jade gems, holding a spear taller than a man.

_We're all going to die, _Ishtar thought, _this was a trap. He's an Ascended, he can kill us all in a heartbeat._

He instinctively stepped in front of his family, while knowing in his heart that he couldn't do anything to stop this creature.

"Don't be afraid," it said in that same regal tone.

"You may have heard of me — my name is Emperor Azir."

At that, Khepri shoved past his parents and ran toward Azir. Tanit screamed, clutching at Ishtar's arm, while reaching for her son.

"Khepri NO!"

The child ran up to Azir, and looked up at the giant, and spoke in his small, high pitched voice.

"Papi and Mimi told me stories about you! You're so tall!"

Azir got down on one knee; he still loomed above the child, easily double his age. His staff dissolved into sand, and formed a small sphere, suspended in the air in front of the child.

"If you could have any toy in Shurima, what toy would you want?"

As soon as Azir said this, Khepri's sister of seven years of age, Tiye also ran past her parents toward the Ascended.

"Mr. Azir! Can you please make me a doll?" she called out as she ran toward him.

Azir chuckled at how she addressed him, a low rumbling sound, like distant thunder. He manipulated the sand, forming a doll about the size of Tiye's forearm. Color infused it, and it grew long dark hair, green eyes, and an incredible amount of detail. Azir had subconsciously created a doll resembling Sivir.

Ishtar and Tanit relaxed slightly, but remained wary as they moved closer toward their children, in time to see Azir draw all the sand off Khepri's little cloak and form it into the image of Rammus, the Armordillo.

Azir stood and led the parents to the side. They stood there for a while, before Ishtar broke the silence:

"Why are we alone?"

Azir considered this for a while, before explaining himself.

"I was brought back from the grave just yesterday by my descendant, and raised my city from the depths of the sands. I then sent her out into the lands to call people to return. You are, in fact, the first people to return to the city. I expect more people, and soon."

"Are we to live here?" asked Tanit, still nervous.

"I'm not forcing your hand, but judging from your supplies I'd assume that you would want to stay at least one night to rest and restock your supplies." "

In the meantime," he said, gesturing down a small street, "there is a well right there."

Ishtar then left, took his skallashi, and led his family to the well, where they drank there fill.

He noticed that his children didn't let go of the sand toys they had received, even as they drank.

_Maybe we can live here. The Emperor seems benevolent, and we could make a living for ourselves._

As they finished their drink, Ishtar and Tanit walked back to Azir, who was watching the children fondly.

"Thank you for your gracious offer," Ishtar said. "We would be honored to accept."

"Wonderful! If you follow me, I will lead you to your new home."

Azir lead them through the city, toward the rich section of the city, and turned onto the bridge.

"Your Majesty..." Tanit began. "We're not rich. We're simple nomads. We don't even belong to a tribe!"

"That is of no consequence. Why should the houses of the Upper District remain empty, if there are people to fill them? Come."

They crossed the bridge, and continued walking through the rich Upper District.

"Since you seem so opposed to living in the homes for the rich, I won't place you there."

Confused, Ishtar and his family followed him. They walked up toward the palace.

"Instead, you and your delightful family will live in the palace, alongside me."

At this, Tanit gasped and stumbled, then stammered, blushing.

"Live in the Palace!? With you? B-b-but I already explained! We're simple nomads, we live off the land! We're the farthest thing possible from royalty! We couldn't possibly live in the palace!"

Flustered beyond belief, Tanit could hardly believe what she was hearing. Azir's rumbling chuckle once again echoed around the city.

"Look around you! There are currently six beings in this city, your skallashi included. There are over three dozen guest chambers in the royal palace, and I enjoy spending time with your family. You are good people, your children are simply charming, and I would be honored if you would accept my invitation to live alongside me in the royal palace."

And with that, they had reached the palace, and Azir ushered them inside. He led them through beautiful corridors, with art, gems, and gold on the walls. He opened the doors to a massive chamber, with maroon silk curtains, beautiful couches, multiple bedrooms, and a bathroom with a tub large enough to sail in.

"Make yourself at home. Now if you'll excuse me, somebody just walked through the gates, and I must go welcome them."

With that, Azir dissolved into sand and vanished. Almost as soon as he had disappeared, the sand scattered all over the floor reformed into a young woman.

"How may I help you sir?"


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**_**Hey guys! Today will be a double upload. Before you start, I just want to make sure that you guys know this next chapter that your are currently reading isn't mine. It's official LoL lore, from the Universe page. I need to put this in here to tie the rest of the story together. The official story is called Echoes in the Stone. Here is a link to it: **** en_US/story/taliyah-color-story/ **

**Because this was pre-written, I will be doing a double upload today! (Yaaaay!) However, because school is really picking up and getting extremely busy, it might be a little longer than a week (maybe even up to 2 weeks) before I can upload again. Sorry :/**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

Taliyah was outrunning the sandstorm when she first noticed the water. In the beginning, it was faint, just a cool dampness she felt as she lifted the stones from deep beneath the sand. As she drew closer to old Shurima, wet streaks dripped from each new stone as if they were weeping. Taliyah knew the rock had stories to tell as she sped across the desert, but she didn't have time to listen, to hear if they were tears of joy or sadness.

When she was close enough to be covered by the shadow of the great Sun Disc, water from underground aquifers began to pour off the stone she rode like little rivers. And when she finally arrived at the gates, Taliyah heard the deafening water rushing along the bedrock. The Oasis of the Dawn, the Mother of Life, roared beneath the sands.

The people of her tribe had followed the seasonal waters for hundreds of years. The best chance of finding her family was to follow the water, and to Taliyah's dismay, the water in Shurima now flowed from a single source as it had in ages past. The tragic remains of the capital city had always been avoided, almost as much as the great Sai and deadly creatures that hunted there. Even thieves knew to keep their distance from the city. Until now.

Taliyah brought the rock she rode to a sudden halt, nearly stumbling from it as she pushed the stone quickly below the desert's surface. She looked around. The woman from Vekaura had been right. This place was no longer a forgotten ruin, haunted by ghosts and sand; indeed, the makeshift camp just outside the walls scrambled with life, like an anthill before a flood. Not knowing who these people were, she decided it might be best to reveal no more than was necessary.

It seemed there was tribal representation from all four corners of her homeland, but as Taliyah searched their faces, she saw none that were familiar. The people here were torn. They argued about the merits of staying in their temporary camps versus seeking shelter within the city. Some worried that just as it rose, the city would fall again, burying any caught inside. Some saw the storm that bristled with unnatural lightning and thought their chances were better within the walls, even if the walls had once been lost to the sand for generations. All of them moved quickly, packing haphazardly and worriedly glancing at the sky. Taliyah herself had won the race with the tempest, but it wouldn't be long before the sand lashed against the gates.

"Now's the time to decide." A woman called out to her, her voice almost lost to the noise of the churning oasis waters and the rising storm. "Are you going in or leaving, girl?"

Taliyah turned to face the woman. She was Shuriman, but other than that, unknown to her.

"I'm looking for my family." Taliyah gestured to her tunic. "They're weavers."

"The Hawk-father has promised protection to all those within the walls," the woman said.

"Hawk-father?"

The woman looked at Taliyah's concerned face and smiled, taking her hand. "Azir has returned to us Ascended. The Oasis of the Dawn flows again. A new day has come for Shurima."

Taliyah looked around at the people. It was true. They were hesitant to move far into the massive capital, but the fear that worried their faces was more for the unnatural storm than the city or its returned emperor.

The woman continued, "There were weavers here this morning. They decided to wait out the storm inside." The woman pointed to the throngs of people pushing in toward the newly beating heart of Shurima. "We must hurry. They are closing the gates."

Taliyah found herself being pulled toward one of the capital's great gates by the woman, and driven from behind by a crowd of strangers who had decided at the last minute not to brave the sands by themselves. Still, there were a few groups clustered near their circled beasts, determined to face the storm as Shuriman caravans had for generations. In the distance, strange and threatening bolts of lightning crackled at the edge of the whirlwind. Old Shuriman traditions might not survive the storm's passing.

Taliyah and the woman were pushed across the golden threshold that separated Shurima from the desert surrounding it. The heavy gates swung closed behind them with a resounding thud. The immensity of old Shurima's glory stretched out before them. The crowd hugged the thick, protective walls, unsure where to go. It was as if they sensed the empty streets belonged to someone else.

"I'm sure your people are somewhere within the city. Most have kept close to the gates. Few are brave enough to go farther than that. I hope you find what you are looking for." The woman let go of Taliyah's hand and smiled. "Water and shade to you, sister."

"Water and shade to you." Taliyah's voice dropped off as the woman disappeared into the milling crowd.

The city that had been quiet for millennia now pulsed with life. Silently watching over Shurima's newest denizens were helmeted guards that wore desert cloaks in gold and crimson. Though there was no trouble, Taliyah continued to feel there was something not right about this place.

Taliyah reached out to the thick wall to steady herself. She gasped. The stone throbbed beneath the flat of her palm. Pain. A terrible, blinding pain overwhelmed her. Tens of thousands of voices were etched into the rock. The fear and torment of their last moments, before their lives were cut down and their shadows were seared into the stone, screamed in her mind. Taliyah tore her hand from the stone wall and stumbled. She had felt vibrations in stone before, reverberations of memories long since past, but never like this. The knowledge of what had come before felled her. Wild eyed, she stood and stared, seeing the city anew. Revulsion washed over her. This wasn't a city reborn. It was an empty tomb risen from the sand. The last time Azir had made promises to the people of Shurima, it had cost them their lives.

"I must find my family," she whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:**_** Here is the next chapter! As I said in the previous chapter, I might not be able to upload for a while :/. If there are any errors, feel free to drop a a like on the video, subscribe, hit the be- I mean wait, what? xD Just kidding! Seriously though, if I mess up somewhere, feel free to let me know, I want to make sure this is as well written as possible!  
Enjoy! :)**

Azir surveyed his resurrected city from his quarters high in the palace. The sun a while ago, and the city was illuminated by stars and lamps. As he watched the hustle and bustle of the immigrants seeking shelter in the reborn city, he wondered about Renekton's survival.

_If Renekton is alive, then it stands to reason that Nasus is too. And if I can find Nasus, he will be able to tell me what happened before Sivir resurrected me. He always was a scholar. He should also be able to find out what that creature was that followed Renekton out of my tomb._

He flipped open a window, and let himself fall out, toward the ground over 200 yards below. He found himself doing this a lot recently, liking the feeling of cold wind blowing all around him. When he was about forty feet above the ground, He spread his wings, hidden underneath his cloak, and soared above the city.

_Where would Nasus be? Everybody in the city who I've asked thought the Ascended were a myth until they met me. Obviously Nasus is in hiding. If he's still in Shurima, I'll find him._

Azir flew over the city walls as he was thinking, subconsciously summoning extra sand guards to protect the city in his absence. He flew a ways out, until even he could hardly see the city, before gliding lower and lower, and touching down at a walking pace. He crouched down, putting his talons in the sand, digging deeper and deeper. His consciousness melded with the land, becoming one with the sand. He felt a sand skimmer pass by around half a mile away, felt the lifeforms in Shurima Reborn, now over a hundred-strong. He dug deeper, pushing his consciousness away. He went out into the Great Sai, and felt abominations that didn't belong. He'd have to take care of those.

He found multiple groups of people, but dismissed these immediately, looking for a loner, an exile. He kept searching, when finally, he felt a singular life form. More intelligent than a simple animal, more intelligent than a human. Large and strong. He nearly pulled out when he felt another singular life form, again large and strong, but this time in close affinity with the sand. Azir's head snapped up. He turned around, and manipulated the sand into a massive wave, over 40 yards high, catapulting him into the sky before falling down to the desert. He flew back over Shurima Reborn, far past the walls, until the city was out of sight.

_I will have to investigate that other life form. I nearly mistook it for Nasus. Something that can be mistaken for an Ascended should not be allowed to run around in the desert unheeded._

He spotted a dune larger than others, and flew right into it, landing roughly. He searched for the form again, finding it easier this time. It was on the move, having felt his consciousness in the sands. It was on the move, but it was close.

He launched himself into the air once more, flying as fast as his Ascended wings would allow him, far faster than any animal could move. He saw a shape, blacker than black among the dark sands, and flew toward it. The sky was the grey of the early hours before dawn when he landed not fifty feet away from it.

The creature stopped, and turned around. It dropped its cloak, revealing a massive staff on its back, and the features of a jackal.

Nasus pulled the staff off his back and dropped into a combat position.

"I do not know who you are, Darkin," Nasus's gravelly voice called out. "That in itself is unusual. What is even more unusual is how in tune with the sands you are. And finally, what will be most unusual, will be you not leaving within the next ten seconds."

Nasus moved closer, and Azir called out:

"It's been a long time friend. I am not surprised you do not recognize me."

Nasus hesitated, recognizing the voice but not quite believing who he was talking to.

"Azir?"

"Yes. It is I."

"How? You were killed over 3 000 years ago, with the rest of Shurima after Xerath's betrayal"

"The last of my line, a mercenary named Sivir was stabbed and nearly died. Her blood seeped into the sands, and I was awoken by blood magic. I took her to the Oasis of Life, and the sun judged me worthy. I Ascended on the spot."

Nasus replaced his staff.

"So the rumors were true. Shurima has arisen once again."

"Yes. I have missed much, however, in 3 000 years. I need you at my right hand, as an advisor, as a confidante, and as a friend."

"I suppose the time has indeed come to return to Shurima."

"Shurima was destroyed 3 000 years ago. It has become Shurima Reborn"

"Whatever you want to call it, I will always know it as Shurima. Now do you want to head back, or do you want to stand here squabbling over semantics like old women?"

Azir chuckled, and punched Nasus in the arm, hard enough to puncture through a human body, but Nasus just growled and punched him back with equal force.

"While you were at your Ascension Ritual, Xerath had sent Renekton and I out of Shurima, to a nearby desert where a malicious fire spirit had somehow escaped its bindings. We took the coffin and were searching for it when we heard and felt a massive blast, originating from Shurima.

We ran back as fast as we could, only to find Shurima decimated, and all but one dead."

"Xerath…"

"Yes, as you say, Xerath. No more interruptions then." Nasus declared, as they set off toward Shurima Reborn at a light jog for them, a blistering pace for even the fastest of humans.

"Renekton and I, at our full power, couldn't defeat him. He had become a being of pure energy, as if lightning had fallen from the sky and taken the shape of a human."

At this, Azir's eyes widened, and he remembered Sivir's description of the being who'd followed Renekton out of the tomb.

"We eventually wrestled Xerath into the coffin, and closed and sealed it. We relaxed, thinking the job was done. He destroyed the coffin from the inside, severely weakening the seal. It exploded in all directions, but he remained in chains and sealed. Even with his power severely limited, we could not beat him. We fought all over Shurima, and everything that had survived the initial explosion was completely obliterated during our fight. Finally, we cornered him in a cavern, and Renekton charged into the Tomb of the Emperors, knocking Xerath into it as well. He looked at me as he fought against him, trying to keep him from getting out and begged me to seal him in.

'Nasus, you know it's the only way.'

I tried desperately to think of another way, but I knew, in my core, in my very being, that Renekton was right. With a heavy heart I closed the doors and sealed them inside. They were then released when your descendant, Sivir, unsealed the tomb.

After that, I went into a self-imposed exile. If only the other Ascended were smart enough to do the same. With Shurima gone and their Emperor dead, they became brutal warlords, fighting each other, their sanity being chipped away after the horrors we all saw in Icathia, when those fools opened a rift into the Void. They amassed hordes of men, and their armies clashed against one another, killing thousands. People lived in fear of the Ascended, or as they were now known, the Darkin."

"AZIR SAYS THE DARKIN DEFINITION"

"Exactly. They fought each other for hundreds of years, until finally Ta'anari came to me seeking the Chalicar of Setaka. I gave him its location, knowing that one way or another, Ta'anari could stop the war. He gathered almost all the Darkin in one place, with only Rhaast, Aatrox, and Varus missing. He tried to gather them together and stop their conflict, but they wouldn't have it. He had to kill one of them, I don't know which one. Finally, he did something with the Chalicar, and channeled the moon in a massive explosion. The seer twins died outright, Valeeva and two others, I don't know who, escaped. Everybody else there somehow reverted to their human forms, where they were quickly killed by their armies. After the Darkin Wars, as they came to be known, ended, there was peace for a while. Until the first World Rune was discovered.

An ancient rune with immeasurable power, the Rune of Domination, as it was called, was found first. Others were found — the Rune of Resolve, the Rune of Precision, the Rune of Sorcery, and the Rune of Inspiration. At first, the civilizations of the time just wanted to experiment with them, and understand them. Some of the more astute scientists hypothesized that the World Runes were in fact used by the Celestials to create Runeterra. Inevitably, a Rune fell into the power of a megalomaniac, whose name is lost to time, and I never learned. He used the power of the rune to attack his enemies, and what happened next was the First Rune War.

Never have I seen such devastation, Azir, never. Even Xerath destroying Shurima paled in comparison. The World Runes reshaped the earth, killing hundreds of thousands. A battle during the Second Rune War, on the Eastern side of Valoran, the northern continent, ended with a landmass breaking off and being pushed across the sea. It is now the nation of Ionia, a peaceful nation. Another war in the southeast again broke off a piece of land pushed it away, creating the Isles of Bilgewater, and the Blessed Isles. This was during the Fourth Rune War. Finally, after the Fifth Rune War, a man named _ and his apprentice Ryze set out to collect the World Runes and keep them safe. _ was eventually corrupted by the power, and Ryze was forced to kill him. To my knowledge, Ryze has found four of the Runes, and is searching for the final two. Civilizations rose from the ashes of the Rune Wars. The Immortal Bastion was a cruel empire led by a man named Sahn-Uzal, and it ruled for decades. Finally Sahn-Uzal was killed by a coup and today's nations emerged. Freljord survived, in the Icy regions in the north. Noxus, a ruthless empire in Central Valoran rose up from the foundation of the Immortal Bastion. Demacia, a strong and noble city that stands against Noxus, and magic of any kind. Zaun and Piltover, Pioneers in Hextech technology were founded at the channel between the two continents.

Eventually, a king seeking to save his wife triggered a horrible magical accident at the Blessed Isles, killing all the land and trapping souls and specters there. It is a truly terrible place. Every year, an event that has come to be known as The Harrowing occurs, a Black Mist manifests and the spirits from the Shadow Isles, as they are now known, attack. Bilgewater is attacked the most."

They reached Shurima Reborn, and began walking through the city toward the palace. The early risers of the growing population were already out and about, working on their new home. Nasus continued:

"A few years ago, Noxus invaded Ionia. Their pacifist leader was forced to strike back, and the country is divided into pacifists, warmongers, and two different ninja orders. Diplomatically, Ionia and Freljord are neutral, however both harbor resentment toward Noxus. Ionia used to be on bad terms with Bilgewater, but the Pirate King Gangplank was overthrown. Bilgewater are basically mercenaries. Noxus and Demacia absolutely hate each other. Piltover and Zaun are rivals in technology, but are on friendly terms with Noxus. Demacia despises magic, so it doesn't buy any Hextech from Piltover, but there's no enmity between them. That is everything important globally that's happened in 3 000 years."

"Good, because we're here," Azir replied.

They walked into the palace, and stumbled across Khepri and Yi'tye, playing with their sand toys.

"Who are they?" Nasus inquired.

"The children of the first family to immigrate to Shurima Reborn. I've invited them to live in the palace. They're nomads and poor, it's true, but they really are a good family. The children are delightful, and their parents are good, hardworking people."

At this, Ishtar walked out of his chamber, dressed in fine maroon and jade-colored clothes Azir's sand servant had provided.

"Ishtar! This is Nasus, another Ascended," Azir chuckled.

"You've probably heard of him. Won't you join us in discussing the layout of the city?"

Azir's sharp eyes detected a slight upward movement of Nasus's brows, but he didn't acknowledge it.

"My — My lord! I would be honored!"

"Then come."

And at a gesture, the grand double doors to the War Room opened.


End file.
